Parenting Styles among Single-Child and Multi-Child Mothers: A Cross-Sectional Study in Arak, Iran

Introduction Parenting styles, as defined by Baumrind's dimensions of responsiveness and demandingness, critically influence child development. Aim This study aimed to compare parenting styles in single-child and multi-child mothers who referred to healthcare centers in Arak, Iran. Material and Methods A descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted in 2025 on 214 mothers (107 with one child, 107 with two or more children recruited from Arak healthcare centers via cluster random sampling. Participants completed the Baumrind Parenting Styles Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS26 with non-parametric tests: the Mann-Whitney U test to compare parenting style scores between groups and the Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-Square tests for demographic comparisons. Results Significant differences in parenting styles were found based on the number of children. Mothers with a single child scored significantly higher on the authoritarian style (29.45 ± 5.867 vs . 10.88 ± 5.159, p < 0.001). In contrast, mothers with multiple children scored significantly higher on the permissive style (30.06 ± 6.567 vs . 11.23 ± 5.697, p < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in the authoritative style ( p = 0.816). Demographic variables like parental age and education did not determine style inclination. Discussion The findings of this study indicate that the number of children in a family is a significant factor associated with maternal parenting styles in the Iranian context of Arak. Conclusion These results highlight the need for tailored parental education programs to support both single-child and multi-child families in adopting balanced parenting strategies.